


If It's Dark

by stelladora



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 10:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6513790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stelladora/pseuds/stelladora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It doesn't make sense that Hux should be able to see Ren's dreams. While Ren lies unconscious after an attack on a rebel base, Hux tries to figure out the strange connection between them. Meanwhile, a new officer attracts Hux's attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He was in a fit of rage when he realized it. He was imagining reaching out, wrapping his hands around Ren’s throat—Hux knows he’s physically stronger, once the Force is out of the equation. He could do it. They’re standing close enough, and the fury pounding through Hux’s veins, making his hands practically itch, would fuel him long enough to crush the air out of Ren’s throat. Perhaps first grab him by the front of that ridiculous cape and smash his head into the console. Hux would relish feeling the gasping strains of Ren’s esophagus against his palms. That’s when he realized that it’s been years—at least eight, possibly more—since he’s physically touched another person.

The realization was enough to make him simmer down somewhat as he reflected on that rather than on the multitude of ways Kylo Ren has attempted to enrage him that day. Hux supposed the statistic is unfair—he’s technically touched others, albeit through the leather of his gloves. But there seems to be a distinction between the necessity of touching someone—say, in combat—and consciously choosing to do so, wanting to. He doesn’t make a habit of physical contact, though, and it’s not surprising that people don’t consider him particularly inviting.

“You’re not even _listening_ ,” Ren growled, voice distorted through the useless filter of the mask.

“Can you blame me, Ren?” Hux retorted icily, pulled out of his own thoughts. “I do, believe it or not, have more urgent matters to attend to, so if you wouldn’t mind taking your tantrum elsewhere, I would appreciate it.” Hux turned away from him, focusing his attention on the datapad he was holding.

Ren huffed and stormed off, and his absence was an immediate balm to Hux’s foul mood. He gave out orders to the technicians seated at the consoles on the bridge, altering their course slightly in accordance with the latest information on one of the rebel outposts.

“General,” came a voice at his side. He turned, giving a cursory glance at the woman. Her uniform designated her as a low-ranking officer, reporting to one of the Captains. Hux cursorily noticed her eyes—they were self-assured and incredibly intense, unlike most of the averted, nervous gazes those of her rank usually gave him. “Captain Phasma requests your presence in interrogation room Epsilon.”

“Tell her I’ll be there momentarily,” Hux said dismissively. The woman nodded, then hesitated as if she had more to say. Hux raised an eyebrow, impatient.

The woman said nothing, just pulled her shoulders back to stand straighter before turning on her heel and heading away from the bridge.

Hux gave a few final directions to one of the engineers and made a note in his datapad before heading down the corridor to the interrogation room. “What have you learned?” he asked Phasma as he approached her, stationed outside the heavy door.

“The base houses approximately one hundred rebel sympathizers, many of whom have little combat training. Mostly engineers, hence the high level of security around the planet. There’s virtually no way for us to approach without being spotted, thus our attack will have to rely on force, rather than stealth.”

“And what of the weapons?” Hux asked.

“There is apparently a significant stockpile there, but well hidden,” Phasma reported. “Most interesting, however, is that the prisoner mentioned several disappearances, high-ranking members who, presumably, left to perform undercover missions—”

“We have no time for trivial speculations, Captain,” Hux pointed out tersely. “If you’ve completed the interrogation, terminate the prisoner. Do not waste our time on the mindless gossip of these rebels.”

“Yes, sir,” Phasma replied, her tone equally terse, annoyed at being cut off. But his subordinates on the Finalizer knew better than to disregard a direct order from their General, and Hux really was too busy to have his best Captain wasted on a fruitless interrogation.

“The base is small, and we have enough information and firepower to settle this matter swiftly. Soon enough, their plans will not matter to us,” Hux reminded her. “Oversee the execution, then ready your troops. We arrive in a matter of hours.”

* * *

 

Hux stood on the bridge as the Finalizer loomed over the small planet. The terrain seemed to be mostly verdant, something Hux had not cared to investigate. He rarely went out on missions like this, though he’d had extensive combat training at the Academy. High-ranking officials were not accustomed to getting their hands dirty. Hux inadvertently thought again of his gloves. Something possessed him to remove them and stow them in a pocket of his coat for the time being. He stood with his hands on the console in front of him, waiting for the report that the shuttles had made contact. Five hundred stormtroopers, five unit captains, thirteen medics, three technicians, and Kylo Ren were on their way to the surface of the planet to destroy the rebel base. Overkill, perhaps, given the size of the place, but Hux wanted to be sure the job was done properly.

“TR-squadron has landed, General,” came Captain Ulri’s voice over the comm system. The four other captains summarily checked in as well—all was going to plan.

“Ren, be sure to locate those weapons before killing everyone in the base,” Hux said over the comm. He hated being so reliant on Kylo’s magic mind-reading powers—it flattered the man’s ego too much—but they were undeniably efficient in situations like this.

“Duly noted, General,” came Ren’s sarcastic reply. “I can hear them already. They’re panicking. Getting ready some sort of defense—Stop!”

Hux heard Ren’s urgent cry, then a confused cacophony of voices. There was a loud sound, unmistakably an explosion, and several of the comm channels went offline. Hux’s heart flew into his throat as everyone on the bridge began scrambling. “What’s going on? Someone get communications back up!” Hux ordered.

“General, we’ve sustained casualties. Some sort of bomb. We’re commencing the assault on the base now,” came Phasma’s haggard voice.

Hux waited on the bridge with gritted teeth, listening to the reports of Phasma and the few medics whose comm units were still functional. He felt useless in situations like this, but he trusted the wisdom and training of his subordinates. They were well aware that failure would not be tolerated.

 

Once the outer defenses of the base were broken, the mission was easy. Their informant had been right; those inside had little combat training, and put up hardly any resistance.

“It appears the base is clear, General,” Phasma reported in due course. “We’re beginning a search for the weapons stash.

“Get Ren to do it. We don’t have all day,” Hux pointed out. Not being able to communicate directly with those on the ground was irritating—he made a mental note to improve the quality of their equipment.

“Ren isn’t here,” Phasma reported. “I can’t get through to him on the commlink. Presumably he was injured in the first blast. We’re manually searching the base now.”

Hux felt his heart sink, a reaction he did not understand. “Report back once you’ve found them,” Hux said curtly. The mission had not quite gone according to plan, but he was still confident that they would find what they were looking for. As for Kylo Ren…

Hux pressed a few buttons on the console, selecting the channel for the head medic. “Avaan. Is Ren among the injured?”

Her voice was obscured by static, and she was clearly distracted. “Yes, he’s already been sent back to the Finalizer. He was one of the ones closest to the blast.”

Hux gritted his teeth. This operation would have been so much easier with Ren. That was how he rationalized the sinking feeling in his stomach. With Ren injured, the First Order wouldn’t be able to take advantage of his power. Hux had gained a reputation for his efficiency, and—though loath to admit it—that was partly due to Ren’s use of the Force. Hux scowled, angry at himself for actually worrying about the man who caused him so much irritation.

The next few hours were a blur of activity. The troops found the stolen weapon stash deep in a vault underground. They transported everything up to the Finalizer and took the files from the databanks before razing the rebel base to the ground, destroying anything and anyone left inside. The med bay was filled with injured soldiers; Hux was still waiting on the official casualty count. The engineers who weren’t occupied with the newly secured information from the base were focused on improving communications technology, motivated by Hux’s earlier rage. Hux himself was in one of the meeting rooms adjacent to the bridge, just dismissing a briefing with some officials. They filed out, and Hux used the second of silence to close his eyes and press his fingertips to his temples. His eyes shot open again as he heard footsteps approach.

“Excuse me, General.” It was the same officer as before. She held a datapad out to him. “The report on today’s mission.”

Hux stood and took the device, glad to finally have an accurate description of what had happened on the surface. The smooth metal felt cold in his gloveless hand. The woman remained standing in front of him, as if she had more business with him. “Is that all?” Hux asked pointedly, remembering how she’d done the same thing that morning. And come to think of it, he didn’t remember seeing her before that day, although that wasn’t exactly surprising—there were thousands of crewmembers on the ship.

The woman opened her mouth, closed it, then stood up straighter, raising her chin ( _proper posture begets confidence,_ Hux recalled from his early days at the Academy). “General, if you’ll permit it, I would like to say that I greatly admire your tactical skills and leadership. It is an immense honor to serve under your command,” she said in one breath. Her voice was steady and businesslike, and her expression blank. Clearly she was making an effort to display confidence.

Hux was silent for a second. Compliments of that sort were rare, and nearly unheard-of from the lower-ranking officers. “What is your name?” he asked.

“Kesna Inar, sir,” she responded.

“Inar,” he repeated. “You are aware, of course, that today’s mission did not go to plan, and yet you still feel this way?” he asked, trying to make sense of her strange declaration.

“Yes sir,” she replied without hesitation. “Today’s casualties were necessary. The stormtroopers died valiantly fighting for the First Order, and in return we gained valuable information and technology, as well as destroyed a rebel outpost. Because of your command, sir, the First Order was victorious today.”

Hux huffed out a chuckle. The woman was intelligent—she was clearly attempting to flatter him in order to gain favor or promotion, and Hux had to admit it was working. “That will be all, Inar,” Hux said, not quite as terse as usual. She nodded and left the room. Hux resumed his seat and began to go over the mission report, wishing that his superiors would see things in the same light as she did.

* * *

 

It was late when Hux checked in with the medical staff. Dr. Avaan looked undeniably tired, and yet was somehow also in her element. Hux had, more than once, wondered if she didn’t secretly enjoy it when the crew sustained injuries.

“General. We’ve managed to stabilize most of the injured stormtroopers. Some losses were, of course, inevitable,” she reported.

“What is the current number of casualties?” Hux asked.

“Fifty-one from the blast itself, or injuries sustained therein. During the assault, an additional forty-six fell, brining the total to ninety-seven. There are two here who we don’t expect will make it through the night.” Her tone was businesslike and devoid of emotion; people in her line of work didn’t usually mourn.

Hux frowned. Nearly one hundred troops dying in a routine, supposedly simple raid was unsatisfactory. It must have been a powerful explosion. Suddenly Hux felt his heart skip a beat, as it had when he’d heard Ren yelling over the comm. _He was one of the ones closest to the blast_ , Avaan had said earlier. “And Ren?” Hux asked, managing to feign disinterest.

 _Snoke will be furious if he dies on my watch. Not to mention, losing his powers would be a significant setback. He is useful. That is why I wish for his recovery_ , Hux told himself, trying to rationalize the strange, icy feeling in his stomach.

“Stable, but unconscious. He was removed to his own chambers. Medics are standing guard. There’s no way to know when he will wake,” Avaan said. Hux just nodded, silent. “If that’s all, General…”

“Yes. Dismissed,” Hux said, collecting himself. Dr. Avaan briskly went back to work, and Hux left the med bay, lost in thought.

He walked aimlessly, as if his body were on autopilot while his mind reeled. Eventually, however, he remembered himself, and realized that he’d wandered close to the sector where Ren’s quarters were. _Perhaps he’s already regained consciousness_ , Hux thought to himself as he tapped an override code into the lock panel of Ren’s door. He didn’t admit to himself that he knew just how poor that excuse was.

“General, Kylo Ren is still—” began the medic stationed outside Ren’s chambers.

“Yes, yes,” Hux said dismissively, striding into the room and leaving the old woman behind. It was quiet and dim inside Ren’s room. Hux rolled his eyes, unsure why he had expected otherwise. Ren lay in bed, looking almost corpse-like except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. His dark hair splayed out in sharp contrast to the white sheets. There was a deep gash on his shoulder, and a bruise on his temple. His arms, lying on top of the sheets, were covered in cuts and bruises as well. Hux didn’t feel like pulling back the sheet to see the further extent of Ren’s injuries. There was a chair next to the bed, probably where the medic had been seated. Hux sat, staring silently at the man.

Something felt odd, but Hux couldn’t place it. It wasn’t a physical sensation, but he somehow had the feeling that something wasn’t right. There was some kind of disturbance.

“Ren,” he said, trying to steady the turbulence in his mind. Hux reached out and covered Ren’s hand with his own, uncertain of what possessed him to do so. The second their hands touched, everything went black.

 

The sky seemed to be swirling around him. Everything was dark, and the wind howled loudly, stinging his face. Fear gripped Hux. This didn’t make sense.

“No, no, please…I’m sorry, I’ll do better, I—”

A voice came to him, as if blown by the wind. Hux couldn’t see anyone. He began walking. The voice was begging, crying. Hux strained his hearing, knowing the voice was familiar but unable to place it.

Trees seemed to grow up out of the earth before his eyes; he was in a forest now, stepping carefully over roots and piles of dead leaves. Someone was kneeling on the ground.

“I’m lost, I don’t know where to go… What do I do?” the stranger seemed to ask thin air. “Help me!” he screamed.

Recognition hit Hux in the chest, and his whole body went cold. “Ren!” Something was drastically wrong—Ren sounded hopeless and terrified. Hux ran to him and pulled him up from the ground. Ren’s eyes were unfocused— _he’s not wearing the mask_ , Hux realized—and he gripped Hux’s arms as if his life depended on it.

The wind immediately stopped, but the rustling of the leaves continued. Or, more accurately, an ominous whispering sound continued to pervade the forest. Hux didn’t understand how they’d gotten there. One moment they were onboard the Finalizer, and the next…

“Ren, you’re dreaming,” Hux said, a sudden clarity coming to him. It didn’t make sense that he would be seeing Ren’s dreams. It was impossible, unbelievable—and yet it was the only explanation. “This is a dream. Wake up.”

“No, no, no,” Ren whispered, his fingers digging into Hux’s arms. “I can’t, I don’t know how, I don’t know what to do!” he said frantically. “They’ll be angry, they’re all going to be so angry…”

It was unnerving to see Ren like this, and despite himself, Hux felt a shred of sympathy for him. “Ren. Everything is under control. Do you hear me? Everything is fine,” Hux said authoritatively. Ren looked at him, tears in his eyes. Hux felt his heart seize; seeing Ren like this was too much. The noise of the forest seemed to diminish, just a little. Ren loosened his hold on Hux, seeming to drift away from him. Hux reached out, finding himself unable to move his legs. “Ren, you need to wake up,” Hux repeated. They were getting farther and farther apart. Ren was fading into the darkness of the forest. Hux began to panic. He made one more attempt to move, to lurch his body forward.

He gasped as if resurfacing from underwater, and looked around to find himself yet again onboard the Finalizer. Ren lay next to him, still unconscious.

Hux panted as if he’d been running, and felt his heart pounding in his chest. He looked warily at Ren, unable to understand what had just passed between them. He’d been pulled into Ren’s mind somehow—against his own common sense, Hux knew that to be true. _It has to be something to do with the Force_ , he reasoned, calming down finally. _But I can’t use the Force. How…_

Hux stood and took a step back from the bedside, not wanting to touch Ren again. He hastily put his gloves back on, as if a thin layer of leather could protect him from whatever strange power had taken hold of him. Them.

Without a word, Hux left the room, his mind no less calm than it had been when he arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen to "Bible Belt" by Dry the River


	2. Chapter 2

Hux had expected to have nightmares. He’d been prepared to see the dark forest, and hear the far-off screams he’d encountered in Ren’s dream. Instead, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, and slept soundly until morning. He almost felt guilty about it when he woke, then realized how ridiculous such an emotion would be. He washed and dressed, preparing for the day, resolving to leave the strange incident behind him.

Things on the bridge that morning were busy. Engineers were implementing a new comm system, which hopefully would hold up better. There were many reports to go through pertaining to the information gained from the rebel base. They had determined the origin of the rebels’ illegal weapon stash, and Hux had set a course for that planet. In the midst of it all, Hux began to have a strange sense of foreboding, as if of imminent danger. He grappled with the paranoia for what could have only been minutes, but felt like much longer. Finally, he contacted Captain Phasma over the comm system.

“Have extra troops sent out to patrol. Report anything out of the ordinary,” he ordered.

“What specifically are we looking for, General?” Phasma asked.

“Do I need a reason to want my ship secure?” Hux asked icily, burying the shame of not knowing what had set him so on edge.

“Very well, General.”

The extra security only slightly mitigated his anxiety, but Hux did his best to ignore the unfounded feeling. There was work to be done, and he set to it, eager for a distraction. It was only a few hours later when Captain Phasma contacted him again.

“General, we’ve located a stowaway in sector C. She has been captured and taken to interrogation room Gamma,” she reported.

Hux was shocked. There had been few opportunities for anyone to board the ship recently; how long had this person been hiding onboard? And was it just a coincidence that he’d ordered the extra patrol, or…? Hux pulled himself out of his thoughts, unwilling to even imagine a correlation between this event and what had happened with Ren the previous evening. _I’m imagining things. If I had Ren’s abilities, I would have known that by now._ _This was a simple stroke of luck._

“Excellent. I leave the interrogation to you. Find out when the prisoner got onboard, and what they’re after,” Hux ordered. “Give me a full report by the end of the day.”

He felt marginally better after that, and was able to focus on his other tasks until evening, when Phasma’s report arrived. Hux pored over it until a familiar name caught his eye.

“ _...Though extra patrols had been ordered, the stowaway was found by an officer (Inar, Kesna; identification number 40930) who happened to be in the area at the time._ ”

Hux held off finishing the report and contacted Phasma.

“General?”

“The officer who found the stowaway. Inar. She reports to you, does she not?” Hux asked.

“Yes. She’s a recent recruit, but clearly one of the most dedicated,” Phasma said.

“I want her promoted. She now reports directly to me.”

 

Hux finished reading the report and filled out the paperwork, making Inar’s promotion official. The young officer was quickly rising through the ranks; according to her file, she had been made an officer only a matter of months ago, and transferred to the Finalizer even more recently.

He joined a few of the unit captains for dinner; the conversation revolved mostly around the newfound prisoner. Apparently, Hux explained, she had boarded the Finalizer in secret six days ago when they had landed on Hibun to refuel and gather supplies. She insisted she’d acted alone, but Phasma—and Hux himself—doubted that. The prisoner claimed her goal was to cut the ships’ power when it reached the Chorious system, leaving it vulnerable to attack. Phasma had left the prisoner alive, as it was obvious there was more to gain from interrogating her.

“It certainly is a pity Kylo Ren is unable to interrogate her,” Captain Logaod lamented. Hux didn’t mention that he wholeheartedly agreed. He had been trying to push Ren out of his thoughts for the past few hours.

After the meal, Hux made his way to his own quarters, datapad in hand, planning to work from his desk there. Passing by the corridor that held Ren’s quarters, Hux paused. He heard voices, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Curious, (not to say anxious,) Hux headed that way.

“He’s awake?” Hux asked the medic—a different one this time, they were evidently taking shifts. “Who’s with him?”

“No one, General, he’s still unconscious,” she replied, confused. Hux almost paused and revealed his own confusion, but instead brushed past her into Ren’s chambers. If no one was inside, why was he hearing voices?

There was no one else in the room with Ren. Hux felt his stomach sink—was he losing his mind? It was unmistakable, though, that Ren was sleeping fitfully. _Probably another nightmare_ , Hux thought, noticing Ren’s pained expression as he twitched and cringed in his sleep. Loath to touch Ren and find himself pulled into his dreams, Hux stood by, setting the datapad down on the table and wondering what to do. It was obvious that something had led him here, some sort of connection between himself and Ren’s powers. Why was he suddenly so susceptible to the Force?

Malicious whispers reached Hux’s ears again, and Ren furrowed his brow in his sleep. An absurd thought crossed Hux’s mind— _what if Ren’s abilities aren’t one-sided? If he can manipulate others’ minds, what if…?_ Ascertaining again that no one else was around, Hux focused intently, willing to somehow reach the other man’s thoughts. The voices grew louder.

_There’s nothing you can do—_

_You’re weak, you can’t stop him—_

_A stupid child, a waste of effort—_

Hux could hear the voices clearly now, could feel the fear that gripped Kylo as he wandered alone through the forest. Hux kept himself firmly grounded, but willed the other voices away. He wanted to stop Ren’s nightmare, to give him a peaceful rest if he couldn’t wake him up. Hux cleared Ren’s mind as best he could, silencing the voices, pushing against them as if they were physical objects. It felt strange, and it exhausted him more than he’d anticipated. Finally, though, the tension in Ren’s body seemed to dissipate, and his breathing became even. Hux took a seat beside him, marveling at what he’d just done. Hux rested his elbows on his knees, head in his hands.

“Ren…you need to wake up,” Hux said quietly after a moment. “Something’s happening, and I don’t understand. …It would be a lot better if you were here,” he admitted. Ren didn’t respond, obviously. Hux felt idiotic and frustrated. He stood up from the chair and began pacing about the room, his own mind now disquieted. _I want to talk to you about this,_ Hux thought, clumsily attempting to send his thoughts to Ren.

Hux sighed and scrubbed his palms over his face. For all he knew, it was a coincidence that Ren had begun to sleep more peacefully, and he was fooling himself by thinking the Force had anything to do with him. But in the back of his mind, Hux felt that wasn’t the truth. Something was undoubtedly happening, but what? And why?

Hux sighed and resigned himself to wondering. He’d get no answers until Ren was able to explain just how his magic mind tricks worked. Hux moved to the desk in the corner, which Ren clearly never used, and resumed his work.

 

Hux gritted his teeth, annoyed at the interruption when he felt Ren’s presence nagging in the back of his mind some time later. Ren remained silent, yet Hux was acutely aware of him and the dark thoughts crashing like waves in his mind. But a part of him was also curious, still testing the limits of his newfound abilities. He’d been able to speak to Ren in the dream. Perhaps that would help. Warily, Hux made his way to Ren’s side again.

He sat down and hesitantly reached out, taking Ren’s hand as he’d done the day before and preparing to find himself suddenly in a dream. But nothing happened. Things remained as they were, and Hux sat by, confused, as Ren’s breathing grew erratic. Hux removed his gloves, trying to remember the exact conditions of the event yesterday. Again, nothing happened when their hands touched, this time skin to skin.

Hux slid his hand more comfortably into Ren’s, so that he was holding the other man’s hand rather than just covering it with his own. (Or, mostly covering it. Hux had never noticed how long and spindly Ren’s fingers were.) He tried to concentrate on what he wanted to do, but he was completely at a loss for exactly _how_ to enter Ren’s dreams. It had been an accident the first time. Hux closed his eyes and mentally retraced his steps.

He thought about Ren, and his desire to help him, comfort him, if possible. And he thought about the strange connection between them, the link between their thoughts. He could feel something, like the rest of the world was falling away, leaving him acutely aware of his own thoughts as well as Ren’s. Hux submitted to the feeling, allowing himself to believe that this would work.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the forest again. The darkness was nearly absolute, so much so that he could barely see the trees that blocked his path until he’d almost run into them. The wind blew through the leaves above his head, adding a faint rustling sound to the voices that pervaded the woods.

“Ren?” Hux called out. “Where are you?” He began walking. The place was even more ominous when alone. _He must be terrified_ , Hux thought, sympathy hitting him square in the chest.

He soon found Ren. The man was bound hand and foot, kneeling dejectedly on the forest floor. “Ren,” Hux said in a sigh of immense relief. He ran to him and knelt beside him, beginning to untie the ropes that bound Ren.

“Get away from me,” Ren said venomously, wrenching his body out of Hux’s reach.

“What? Ren, I’m here to help you,” Hux explained.

“I don’t want your help. Go away,” Ren spat.

Hux held up his hands as if to show he meant no harm, as if Ren were a wounded animal, wary to the point that they’d rather die than be helped. “Kylo. We need to get out of here,” Hux said gently. His tone was drastically incongruous to the way he usually spoke with Ren, but Hux supposed that didn’t matter here. Ren had cried in front of him, had shown Hux all his deepest fears. They were in a place far removed from reality. “Please let me help you.”

Ren’s harsh expression faltered a little, and the tension in his body seemed to dissipate. “I can’t get out. I don’t know where to go,” he confessed.

The words were familiar; Ren had said that last time in his panic. Hux reached out, untying the rope around Ren’s ankles. “Yes you do. You know exactly what you have to do, Ren,” Hux said calmly, hoping his theory would work. Ren stared at him, and Hux fleetingly marveled at just how young and lost Ren’s expression was. Hux had never seen him like that. _Perhaps that’s why he wears the mask,_ he thought. Hux finished untying the rope around Ren’s wrists, then led the other man to his feet. “You know what to do. You need to wake up,” he said, raising his voice to be heard over the wind.

Ren hesitated a second, then nodded. Silently, he took Hux’s hand and began slowly leading him through the forest. With every step, the wind and the voices that filled the air diminished. Soon they were walking in perfect silence. Ren seemed more confident now; he no longer looked about, but continued on in one direction as the forest grew brighter. He held tightly to Hux’s hand, and Hux did likewise, the solidity between them grounding him as the forest seemed to fly past them, growing ever brighter. Soon, they reached the edge, and Ren stopped. He turned and looked at Hux; the light was incredibly bright now, and Hux blinked his eyes against it. When he opened them again, he was seated at Ren’s bedside, holding his hand.

Ren groaned softly, and Hux realized with a flood of relief that he was awake. Hux quickly let go of his hand, avoiding Ren’s gaze, and stood up without a word, walking briskly towards the door and out into the corridor before Ren could speak.

“He’s regained consciousness,” Hux informed the medic stationed there as he brushed past her, towards his own quarters.


	3. Chapter 3

Hux only felt a little bit embarrassed as he returned to his quarters. Admittedly, leaving the room before Ren could say anything hadn’t been the best move, but his mind had gone blank when he’d considered the prospect of discussing what had just passed between them. Of course, delaying the inevitable would only make it worse. Frustrated, Hux washed and dressed for bed, trying hard to clear his mind enough to sleep.

He slept soundly despite his worries, and woke up easily the next morning. The morning passed like any other; reports, meetings with captains and engineers, trying not to waste too much energy on rage when someone inevitably fucked something up. Hux was busy, and forgot all about Kylo Ren until he heard some idle gossip between two stormtroopers in the corridor.

“They say he was never injured at all, they just used that as a cover-up for some kind of secret mission,” one said.

“What kind of secret mission?” asked the other.

“I don’t know, idiot, it’s a _secret_ ,” the first explained, exasperated.

Hux brushed passed them and fixed them with a cold glare. They instantly froze, straightened up, and set about patrolling with a renewed vigor once Hux was a few steps down the corridor. There was too much gossip about Ren on the Finalizer to keep up with it all. His training with Supreme Leader Snoke, his childhood, his mysterious powers. Even Hux had to admit he didn’t fully understand Ren, and after what had passed between them, he was even more baffled.

As he walked through the corridor in sector B, Hux found himself unable to stop thinking about Ren. It felt as though he were being pulled towards the man’s quarters, even though Hux had no conscious plans to go that way. It was on the other side of the ship, he had no business there…and yet Hux somehow felt like he had to go. Reluctant, almost against his own will, Hux turned around and headed that way.

Hux entered the room without signaling his arrival or knocking; his security clearance gave him access to every room onboard the Finalizer. Luckily, Ren was alone now, the medics having evidently done their job. He didn’t want to have the entire medical staff gossiping about why the General was spending so much time with Ren all of a sudden.

Ren was seated on the sofa; his head jerked up when Hux entered, evidently pulled out of his own thoughts. Hux was struck by the fact that not only was Ren not wearing the mask, but he wasn’t wearing the cape either. His frame looked even smaller without it. “Yes, General?” Ren drawled sarcastically.

Hux suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. Part of him wanted to turn and leave the room without a word, but that would surely make things worse. They would have to talk about this situation some time, he decided. “It’s a relief to see you conscious,” Hux said flatly, entering the room and taking a seat in the armchair opposite Ren.

Ren raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would have been thrilled to have me out of your hair,” he said scathingly.

“Yes, well, if Snoke found you in a coma, I’m sure he would consider me a failure of a babysitter,” Hux shot back. “I made sure you woke up, and then I left.”

A change came over Ren’s face; Hux didn’t have time to completely figure out the expression before Ren concealed it. “So you _were_ here,” he murmured.

“You…don’t remember? I was here twice. And,” Hux paused, deciding it would be better for them to get the conversation over with. “Both times, there was some kind of…I don’t know how to explain it. Something _happened_ ,” Hux said, feeling at a loss. He hated the fact that he had to rely on Ren for answers.

Ren didn’t mock him, as Hux had been expecting. If anything, his face grew more serious. “What does that mean?” he asked.

Hux frowned, trying to find the words. What had happened between them was absurd, impossible; just thinking about it made him feel somehow humiliated. “You did something. While you were unconscious. You…pulled me into your dreams. Or…I did something. I am, as yet, uncertain of the cause,” Hux said formally, keeping his back rigidly straight.

Ren narrowed his brows, breaking his gaze away from Hux and staring down at the floor. Hux felt an odd shift in the atmosphere of the room. He was aware of it before he knew how to put it into words; it was like waves rippling through the air, emanating from Ren. The other man was embarrassed, Hux realized. “I don’t…” Ren paused. “I have little information regarding this aspect of the Force. I don’t know how I could have done that, especially while unconscious,” Ren practically mumbled.

Ren was never one to hide his emotions, but Hux had never seen him like this. Clearly they both recalled what had happened in Ren’s dreams; the fear, the crying. “Perhaps…something happened as a result of the stress of the mission,” Hux offered. “Mental or physical distress often leads to heightened, irrational emotions, or exceptional levels of strength which may be used as a defense mechanism,” Hux rattled off. He couldn’t explain why he wanted to set Ren at ease. Hux wasn’t one to care about others’ emotions or distress, but what had passed between the two of them had been more intimate than any connection he’d had in quite some time. Hux was certain that, given the choice, Ren would have much preferred to keep his innermost fears a secret.

“You’re right,” Ren said, apparently eager to have an acceptable excuse for what had happened. “I’m sure it was just the Force trying to…repair my mental scarring, bring me back to consciousness,” he mused. “I’ll ask Snoke. Perhaps this could be a useful part of my training.”

Hux just nodded. In truth, Ren was probably the best person to help him understand what was going on, but Hux was hesitant to broach the topic. In truth, he wanted everything to just go back to normal, no matter how useful the Force could be. In truth, Hux was afraid of what it would mean for him to grow any closer to Ren. Things were already changing.

“Is it—how often do—Is it impossible that someone like me could use the Force?” Hux eventually managed to ask. “I mean, someone my age,” Hux added, seeing Ren raise an eyebrow and cutting off the other man’s inevitably sarcastic rebuttal.

“I don’t think it’s impossible. Unusual, certainly, for someone who has never shown any signs of being Force-sensitive,” Ren explained. He gave Hux a quizzical look. “Exactly what did you see in my dreams?” he asked with a forced nonchalance.

“You. Lost in the wilderness. You were afraid, you kept saying that you didn’t know what to do,” Hux said. It wasn’t until the words were out of his mouth that he realized his voice had unwittingly taken on a tone much more gentle than usual.

Ren frowned. “I don’t have to tell you that that’s something I’d rather keep private,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Obviously. And as of right now, I have no reason to make that information public,” Hux retorted pointedly.

Ren looked one step away from rage. “You understand that I could take those memories from you? I could enter your mind, tear through it, put all of your deepest secrets on display, and leave you with nothing more than a quivering wreck.”

Hux had forgotten how icy and, if he was honest, frightening Ren’s voice could be without the mask. Nevertheless, he stood his ground, a thought suddenly coming to him. “Yes. I understand that. And I understand that you’re reminding me of it because you’re afraid of looking weak. I think you’re driven more by your desire for confidence than a desire for power. And if—”

Hux’s voice was cut off, as well as his breath. Ren’s outstretched hand crushed his throat without touching him, and Hux felt panic begin to rise in his chest. His own hands moved to his throat as if to pull away the non-existent obstacle there. _Stop it,_ Hux thought wildly. _Stop it, let me go._ His mind went blank other than the searing thought of making Ren release him. There was a slight release in pressure a second before Ren let him go altogether, eyes wide.

“It’s true,” Ren mused as Hux gasped for breath, slouching in his chair. “You used the Force, I felt you resist.”

“Of-fucking-course I resisted,” Hux panted. “Do not _ever_ do that to me again.”

Ren just stared at him, thinking. “I’m going to have to bring this to Snoke’s attention,” he muttered, more to himself than to Hux.

Hux rolled his eyes, his breathing back to normal. “Figure out what’s happening to me,” Hux snapped, standing up and heading for the door. Obviously Ren was as much in the dark about this as he was. Further conversation wouldn’t be productive; he had wasted enough of the afternoon.

“ _Us_ ,” Ren corrected him. Hux turned. “What’s happened to you is not natural. You weren’t born like this, somehow these abilities were passed on to you. Possibly through me,” Ren clarified.

“What difference does that make?” Hux asked. “Either way, I want answers.”

“The difference is significant,” Ren muttered. “Leave. I’m going to meditate.”

Hux didn’t like taking orders from Ren, but he’d already decided to leave and, if he was honest, had no reason to stay in Ren’s room. Begrudgingly, Hux left, heading back to the bridge, trying to ignore the odd feeling that somehow, a part of him was still with Ren.


	4. Chapter 4

“…Captain Logaod requests permission to send a squadron down to the surface to make inquiries, but the reports indicate that life forms there do not—”

“General.” a commanding voice cut through Kesna Inar’s briefing. She looked up, over Hux’s shoulder, clearly surprised by the rude interruption, but Hux watched as an odd change came over her expression, ending in something resembling deference. She stepped back, conceding the conversation, and Hux turned, already knowing who was there. “Supreme Leader Snoke has contacted us.”

Hux’s jaw tightened. He’d been in the middle of something important; if he was honest, all of Ren’s training and magic and nonsense were beginning to chafe his nerves. He wanted to be free of this man and the confusion he caused. “Inar, inform Captain Logaod that she has my permission to proceed at her own discretion. We’ll be within range of the planet in a few hours. Be sure they have the new communication systems.” Giving these last instructions, Hux left Inar on the bridge and followed Ren, who swept down the corridor fast enough to make his cape flare behind him. Hux watched, amusedly, wondering if it was on purpose.

They entered the darkened chamber and walked to the far end, now at a more controlled pace. Snoke was there, waiting and somehow still looking threatening despite being merely a projection. Hux stood up straighter and held his head high.

“You have neglected your training,” Snoke began. His voice always reminded Hux of far-off thunder, and he was relieved that this particular storm was directed at Ren. “That is the reason for your disgrace at the rebel base. You must learn to keep your senses open to what is around you.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Ren said with a slight inclination of his head.

“Your incompetence reflects poorly not only on your own power, but on that of the First Order. Remember what I have taught you, Kylo Ren.”

“Master, there is much you haven’t taught me. You know I long to rejoin you, to finish my training—”

“You are needed here. The First Order relies on you, especially General Hux. There is a reason I placed you on this ship,” Snoke intoned. “You will resume your training when you are ready.”

Ren glanced at Hux, the mask obfuscating any expression. “Master…you must know of what passed between us, when General Hux used the Force…”

“How is that possible?” Hux asked, not content to simply listen to a conversation he was the subject of.

Snoke turned his gaze to Hux. Oddly enough, even after all their conversations, it was still intimidating to have Snoke’s void-like eyes fixed on him. “You cannot control the Force. You simply sense it, hear its call as it echoes through the galaxy.”

“But…why? I was never able to do any of this before, it all started when—”

“When Kylo Ren was vulnerable enough to give you a glimpse of this power. Your abilities flow from your connection with him, General.”

Hux turned to Ren. Even with the mask, Ren’s surprise was evident. “I do not understand,” Ren said. “I don’t know how to do that. I didn’t know it was possible to pass these abilities on to someone else.”

“The unconscious mind is powerful. Without the artifice of human emotion and hesitancy, our deepest desires are laid bare, and our power becomes raw and pure, perfectly one with the Force. Kylo Ren, you must learn to wield your power without self-consciousness, without _regard_ for the self. You should feel the call of all life as strongly as you feel the call of _this_ life.” With that, Snoke again turned his gaze to Hux, who was standing dumbfounded.

“Yes, master,” Ren said quietly, obviously just as stunned as Hux.

“There will soon come a time when you will have to prove yourself. Do not fail.” Snoke’s words were still echoing through the room when the projection faded, leaving Hux and Ren alone. Despite the room’s size, Hux felt stifled. Ren turned to leave, and Hux heard his own voice before he made the decision to stop him.

“Ren.” The other man paused, seemingly uncertain whether or not to heed Hux’s call. Hux didn’t wait for Ren to face him. “What did he mean?” Usually Hux hated to admit that he didn’t understand something, especially in Ren’s presence. This, though, seemed more important than his pride.

Ren turned to Hux, which was only marginally helpful since Hux still couldn’t see his eyes. “I…apparently I passed some of my power on to you. There’s some kind of connection between us. When I was unconscious, unguarded, I…” Ren shook his head. It was somehow unsettling to see that Ren was equally at a loss. Ren was supposed to be the one who understood the Force.

“I feel so much,” Hux mused, glad that the two of them were alone in the semi-darkness. It made the conversation easier. “I can feel your emotions shift, but I also feel…some kind of energy. I could sense that there was an intruder onboard,” Hux marveled.

Ren nodded. “That’s what it’s like. When I concentrate, I can sense every living creature on the ship,” Ren said quietly. “There’s an infestation of floater fleas in cargo hold L-9, by the way.”

Hux rolled his eyes, more out of habit than real annoyance. For some reason Ren’s presence wasn’t as grating as usual. “I suppose I’ll never know what that’s like. Never…sense things in the same way you can, that is. I can’t use the Force to its full extent, is that right?”

“Yes. Apparently your power is a result of our…proximity,” Ren said. Hux could feel the awkwardness and uncertainty between them as Ren very deliberately chose his words. “Perhaps they might even fade if the two of us were to…no longer be proximate.”

“An intriguing theory,” Hux nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. “Though I wasn’t with you when I sensed the stowaway,” he pointed out.

Ren dropped his gaze, or at least lowered his head in such a way that made Hux assume as much. “I did not mean _physical_ proximity,” he all but mumbled, making it even more difficult to understand his altered voice.

“Ah.” He had never considered the two of them to be particularly close—if anything, Hux begrudged Ren the space he took up on the Finalizer. But in truth, they had grown closer since the incident at the rebel base, since Hux had seen Ren’s dreams. Ren began to head for the door, and Hux followed him a few steps before asking the question that had been gnawing at him. “Did you mean to show me your dreams?” Hux asked quietly, trying to fit it all together.

“Obviously not,” Ren snapped, the sound shattering the odd moment of tranquility and openness that had formed between them. Ren shook his head, as if physically ridding himself of whatever strange spell had come over the two of them, giving them the only honest conversation they’d had together. They stopped walking. “Why would I?”

Hux furrowed his brow, not out of anger, but curiosity. He wondered if Ren’s anger was always layered over embarrassment, or just now. “You seem to want someone to notice,” Hux mused.

Ren glared at him. “You know nothing of what I want,” he practically spat. “Don’t think that just because you blundered your way into one of my dreams you understand anything about me.” He cocked his head, as if thinking. “For that matter,” Ren continued, “I don’t consider it _fair_ that you haven’t given me the same opportunity.” The threat was evident in his voice.

“You said yourself you don’t know how to do what I did,” Hux reminded him, standing his ground in the face of another one of Ren’s familiar tantrums.

“Dreams, no. But your thoughts, your memories…” Ren practically taunted him.

“What interest could my memories hold for you?” Hux laughed, brushing the idea aside. He continued walking, resisting the temptation to knock shoulders with Ren as he passed. Before he got three steps away, Hux felt a hand on his wrist. It was the last thing he felt before everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

“You know, the best thing I can say about this marriage is that I don’t have to hide the fact that I feel absolutely no love for you,” his mother spat. Her expression looked like she was trying to burn holes in her husband’s chest using just her eyes. Hux had seen that look many times before. She was right; there was no artifice in his parents’ marriage. They were direct about the fact that they despised one another.

Hux watched himself, approximately six years old, seated stock-still on the divan in the parlor, knowing better than to fidget despite how uncomfortable he was. Nothing in the house was comfortable; not the furniture, not the tense silences that stretched through the too-long hours of the day. Hux endured, learned early how to tread lightly and keep silent so as to not attract the fury of either parent. His existence, in the eyes of his parents, was a reminder of their hated spouse, nothing more. Hux saved his resentment and rage for those who he knew he could beat. His parents said nothing when he came home with bruises or cuts. They hardly looked at him, hardly touched him.

Rooted to the spot, Hux watched as one of their typical arguments played out, the passive-aggressive jabs eventually leading to outright insults. They rarely yelled, but they would say extravagantly cutting things to one another. Now, while listening as an adult, Hux nearly laughed at the irony: they were perfectly compatible, in fact, but only in a game of wits. The child on the divan didn’t find the situation amusing, however. He got up from the divan and went upstairs to his bedroom—Hux could picture him sitting at his desk until late, reading, trying to focus all his energy into studying. Perhaps, had he stayed in the parlor, his mother would have said goodbye before she packed her things and left.

 

“You only got into the Academy because your father is Headmaster!”

“Why are you always trying to be teacher’s pet? No one would ever dare to fail you.”

“Why don’t you go complain about it to your daddy?”

The voices slammed into Hux’s ears in cacophony, along with flashes of his childhood, his time at the Junior Academy. The other students resented him, envied him. It was obvious to Hux that he was better than they were, both because of his status and his grades. But their constant mentioning of his father quickly got under Hux’s skin. He remembered their taunts, the way people would stop talking when he entered a room, the enemies he made purely because of his name. The fights. The way the knife, stolen from the kitchens, sank into the other student’s shoulder so easily. The blood that splashed against Hux’s shirt.

“I’m disappointed in you. Next time you do something like that, don’t make such a mess of it,” his father had scolded him.

People didn’t mock Hux after that.

 

Memories flickered through Hux’s brain like pictures on a screen, and he was dimly aware of Ren’s presence all the while, silently observing him, judging every aspect of his past, learning more and more abour Hux. Hux saw his childhood home, empty and lonely with just him and his father. His severe, intensive education, hounded by the pressure of having his father be the headmaster of the Academy. Small moments of happiness interspersed the seriousness, though. He had friends at the Academy. They looked up to him, considered him their leader. Hux had gotten a taste for power at a young age.

He saw the grueling exams and training sessions, both of which Hux forced himself to excel at and was rewarded with high marks. His father had been proud when Hux was awarded for being the top of his year in hand-to-hand combat (years of picking on other children finally paying off). Taniri and Mendec, his two best friends, appeared in many early memories. All three of them were now too busy now to spare a thought for one another.

Hux began to feel sick; he heaved as flashes of those years shone in his mind. After graduation, Hux was awarded a high position. He threw himself into his work, rarely sparing a thought for his personal life, and was rewarded by being one of the youngest generals in First Order history. The past fifteen years flew by in a mass of grey: the cold metal of the ships on which he was stationed and the resolute, diligent life he lead, striving to impress those he didn’t deign to speak with.

Sparks of insight about his own life accosted Hux from all sides. The loneliness, the desperate attempts for attention, which he soon gave up on. It was overwhelming, having his history and emotions replayed like this. His heart was beating too fast, he felt sick. Hux sank to his knees, squeezing his eyes shut and willing everything to stop. He didn’t want to see himself like this, so dreary and predictably sad, nothing more than the product of a mundanely tortured childhood. Pathetic.

“Stop, stop it,” Hux groaned through gritted teeth. Again, pathetic. Weak.

A few seconds passed, and everything slowed down. Hux could feel Ren standing next to him, slightly amused. Slightly sympathetic. “I suppose we’re even now. You’ve given me much to consider,” Ren said quietly before heading for the door. Hux was left alone, lying on his side on the floor of the dark room as he collected himself. He stood and straightened his clothing, taking deep breaths through his nose and trying to compartmentalize what had just occurred. The past was over. Instead, Hux resolved to look to the future. His first priority now was punching Ren square in the mouth for what he’d just done.

Composed again, Hux left the chamber and strode onto the bridge. Almost immediately, Kesna Inar was at his side, filling him in on the scouting party that has landed on the surface of Eksan. There was also a report from one of the captains about the new recruits, as well as the final installation of the upgraded tracking equipment. Hux was laden with work, and that took his mind off Ren and the horrific flashback session they’d seen. It was hours later before Hux wearily left the bridge, a migraine beginning to grow in his temples.

It was the pain in his head that reminded him of Ren, and Hux sighed, deciding to deal with him later. He entered his quarters and sank into an armchair, keeping the lights at half-brightness.

Suddenly there was a knock, and Hux roused himself from a doze he hadn’t noticed he’d fallen into. Hux groaned, assuming who he’d find on the other side. Most of his rage toward Ren had dissipated; he was now, more than anything, embarrassed to have shown such weakness. Hux didn’t like that Ren now knew of all his insecurities, all his painful memories and mundane, pathetic, lonely childhood. Hux scowled as he went to open the door, stamping out any trace of self-pity.

But it was not Ren who he found waiting for him.

“Forgive me for interrupting you, General,” Inar said. Here, away from the bridge, she seemed to have eschewed her strict demeanor. She seemed to be allowing herself to be shy, uncertain. “I have Captain Yindek’s report on the new recruits.” She handed him a datapad. Hux sighed and took it from her, already feeling a headache setting in behind his eyes.

“Is something wrong, General?” Inar asked him hesitantly, a genuine soft tone of concern in her voice. It wasn’t often that people cared to ask Hux that question.

“It’s been a long day,” Hux replied. Both the workload and the emotional toll were getting to him.

“Sir, I would be more than happy to take on some of your more menial tasks,” she offered earnestly. “If there’s something you deem within my capabilities, I am at your disposal.”

Hux considered for a moment before leaving the doorway and moving to the desk in his quarters, beckoning Inar inside. The automatic door slid shut behind her. Hux noticed her furtive glances around the room, as if she were trying to memorize everything in it.

“These are the star charts for the Tyngde system. Look them over, see what exactly the new reconnaissance team has found, and how long it would take to travel to the main planetary groups therein,” Hux ordered, handing over the chart. It was an easy enough task, he figured, and not so critical that she could in any way ruin it. Not that Hux expected her to.

“Yes sir.” Inar paused in that way she always did, as if she were considering whether or not to continue speaking. Hux raised an eyebrow expectantly. “May I make an observation, sir?” she asked.

“Of course,” Hux nodded.

“Today, after the interview with…” she hesitated; most of the lower-ranking officers were loathe to say Snoke’s name, as if doing so would conjure up the Supreme Leader himself. Hux nodded in understanding, and Inar continued, “You seemed out of sorts. Upset. Or, unfocused. And I was just wondering, if everything was…alright,” she concluded, almost shyly.

“Everything is in order,” Hux said automatically. “I’m tired, I suppose. And…stressed, naturally.”

Inar took a step closer to him, her dark eyes fixed on his, no longer shy at all. “Is there anything I can do to help you relax?” she asked softly.

Hux was surprised. He recognized that tone, but no one had spoken to him that way in some time—most people were too afraid of him to carry a conversation beyond what was strictly necessary. “Are you _propositioning_ me?” he asked in disbelief.

There was an almost immediate switch in Inar’s demeanor. She faltered, opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t find the words. She dropped her gaze from Hux’s, and he could see a blush spreading across her cheeks despite her dark complexion. “Excuse me, General, I didn’t—”

“No, no, I simply wasn’t expecting it, don’t be embarrassed,” Hux mumbled, assuring her. “Though, you have to understand, that would not be the best idea,” he pointed out.

“Yes. Of course. It won’t happen again, General,” Inar said. Her usual self-assured demeanor was gone, and she couldn’t seem to raise her gaze from the floor.

Hux smiled amusedly, considering her. “It’s odd,” he said, leaning against the desk, “I so rarely have time to think about…things of that nature. Personal desires. I forget that other people have them,” he confessed lightly.

Inar managed a smile, slowly losing the tension in her shoulders. “Perhaps you’re lucky then,” she said.

Hux chuckled. That wasn’t the word he would have used. “Perhaps.”

“If that’s all then, General, I’ll be going,” Inar said after a pause.

“Yes, right. Dismissed.” She didn’t hesitate, but turned to leave, evidently eager to forget the awkward situation. “Officer Inar,” Hux said before she’d gone three steps. She turned. “Don’t be embarrassed. That’s an order,” Hux said with a small smile.

Inar smiled as well, and consciously readjusted her posture, holding her head high and looking him in the eyes. “Yes, sir.”

Hux found himself in better spirits after her visit


	6. Chapter 6

Hux could feel Ren’s presence as clearly as if the other man were lying in bed next to him. It was as though their thoughts had been made physical— Hux could sense Ren there, in his head, creating a connection between them. It was a marvel, but Hux was annoyed on principle.

_What do you want?_ Hux thought clearly, hoping Ren would hear the message, far away as he was, in his own quarters.

_You were the one thinking about me. Very loudly, I might add,_ came an amused voice in Hux’s head. It was incredibly strange to hear thoughts other than his own.

Hux blushed angrily. _That’s not my fault, I was asleep, I don’t even remember what I was—_

_About earlier. After our conversation with Snoke,_ Ren informed him. He was hesitant. _And, to answer your question…no. You did not embarrass yourself in front of me._

There was honesty in Ren’s voice, and a softness that Hux was astounded to hear. _This is so much easier, not being face to face_ , he thought, and immediately regretted it, knowing that Ren could hear him. Knowing, now, that Ren was smirking in that awful way that made one corner of his mouth go slightly higher than the other, and his eyes wrinkle at the corners—Hux resolutely stopped thinking about it.

_Yes, it is. …Did—Do you— …You saw my dreams,_ Ren eventually managed _._

_Yes. You’re unsure of yourself. Lost. And you’re afraid of that,_ Hux mused. _Afraid that the uncertainty will paralyze you._ Ren was silent, surprisingly, but Hux could still feel his embarrassment. _I’ve seen what you are capable of, Ren. The way you fight, the way you always get what you want from people. The power you wield, and have somehow given me. When you finish your training, you will be unstoppable, that much I know._ There was pure admiration in his tone as Hux thought about it. If Ren could only overcome his doubts, he would be the most formidable force in the galaxy.

There was more silence from Ren, but Hux had a momentary glimpse into how pleased the other man was. Ren felt embarrassed, flattered, and a multitude of other mixed-up emotions that Hux couldn’t place. Before he had time to figure out the other man’s reaction, their connection was severed as finitely as a dropped connection between two comm units.

Everything went quiet, like Ren was intentionally keeping him out (was that possible? Could Hux learn to do that?). What could Ren be thinking about that he didn’t want Hux to know? Resigned, Hux rolled over in bed and tried to get to sleep. It felt wrong now, being so alone.

 

 

Hux didn’t see Ren the next morning, but he did see Inar. Things between them were the same as ever, with no indication of what had happened the previous evening. Hux’s vanity had been flattered by Inar’s proposal, and that improved his mood almost as much as sex would have. Everything on the bridge was running like clockwork, until Ren arrived.

“General,” Ren greeted him stiffly. There was no change in his demeanor to hint at the conversation they’d had last night. Ren was all formality, and this time Hux was disappointed. He told himself that reaction was illogical, but the feeling still nagged at him. What else had he been expecting?

“Lord Ren,” Hux returned, taking his cue from the other man. “Do you need something?”

“Periodically, I like to test the limits of my abilities by keeping in contact with the scouting parties you deploy,” Ren explained, keeping his voice low so that it wouldn’t carry. “I can no longer find the party you have sent to Eksar,” he said pointedly.

“And what would you like me to do? Help you with your training?” Hux asked uncomprehendingly. It was already clear that Ren was perfectly capable of getting into his head.

Ren rolled his eyes. “Something’s gone wrong,” he explained slowly. “My abilities are not the problem; the reconnaissance team is _gone,_ I no longer feel their presence.”

Hux stared blankly at him, trying to rationalize what Ren was saying. Six people couldn’t just disappear all of a sudden, not if Ren was keeping tabs on them. “Inar, what’s the status on Captain Logaod and the squadron we sent down yesterday?” Hux asked, finally turning away from Ren’s intense, dark-eyed stare. Inar, who had been staring intently at the pair of them, turned to the console in front of her and pressed a few keys, scrolling through information. “Well?” Hux prompted her.

“Something’s odd here, General. Their vital statistics are exactly the same as when we checked them five hours ago. Not so much as a change in heart rate on any of them.” She looked up at Hux, brow furrowed in confusion. “That doesn’t make sense, it’s as if the readings are frozen.”

A gnawing feeling began in the pit of Hux’s stomach. He could practically hear his father berating him for yet another failed mission. He pushed those thoughts aside and went to the console, attempting to call Logaod. The call did not go through. Hux nearly growled in frustration. “I thought we repaired these communication systems!” he shouted, drawing the attention of all those on the bridge. “So not only do we have no way to contact them, we have no way of knowing whether or not they’re alive! How did this happen?” Hux asked the room in general. “I want this taken care of. Find out how their signals are being jammed, and how long it’s been like this. And if the engineers _currently_ on board can’t fix these fucking comm systems, I’ll hire someone who can, and throw you lot out an airlock,” Hux threatened.

The room became a bustle of activity, but Ren and Inar stayed by Hux’s side. “General, Eksar is presumed to house rebel sympathizers. If something has befallen the scouting team, time is absolutely critical,” Inar said in one breath. “Despite everyone’s best efforts, fixing the comm units and vitals monitors from here requires time we may not have.”

Everything she said was true, and it nagged at the back of Hux’s mind as he formulated a plan.

_Don’t be ridiculous_ , came Ren’s voice inside Hux’s mind before Hux even had the chance to speak. _You can’t possibly go alone. You need me if you’re going to find them._

Hux scowled, but knew Ren was right. Ren was stronger, at least when it came to matters of the Force. But Hux was adamant about going in person. He wanted to do something to prove himself. The two men shared a glance, communicating with half-thoughts and emotions rather than with words. It was like having complete access to someone else’s mind, Hux realized. In that moment, he knew Ren as well as he knew himself.

“General?” Inar prompted him, looking from Hux to Ren, hiding her frustration at the silent conversation that was happening in front of her.

“Have a vessel prepared. Ren and I will leave as soon as possible,” Hux informed her.

Her eyes went wide, apparently not expecting this declaration. “General, please, allow me to accompany you,” she said forcefully. The three began walking, Inar keeping pace with Hux and not breaking eye contact. “I can pilot these ships, I can help you,” she asserted.

Had he more time to pause and think, Hux would have been impressed by her tenacity, her desire to prove herself. As it were, he simply nodded, and she smiled triumphantly before rushing to the landing bay ahead of them.

Hux oversaw their departure preparations himself, loath to leave anything in the hands of officers or engineers who were obviously incompetent. He had to remind himself every few minutes to take steady breaths and calm himself, quelling the rage inside him. It was shameful, losing an entire scouting party like this. The First Order held itself to higher standards, and thus, so did Hux.

Inar readied the spacecraft herself, giving orders to the workers in the hangar and inspecting the vessel with expert care and attention. Within half an hour of giving the orders, Hux, Ren, and Inar were onboard the ship, checking one last time their weapons and comm systems (which Hux had almost eschewed altogether, given their past performance rate). They left the hangar heading for the last known coordinates of the scouting party. The atmosphere between the three of them was tense, and Ren especially paced restlessly about the small ship.

“General,” Inar began, breaking the silence after several minutes, “may I ask just what, exactly, you plan to do? It’s doubtful that the squadron just got _lost_. The rebels certainly has a part in this, and we can’t exactly take them on by ourselves, we’re certainly outnumbered,” she pointed out.

“Of course we could,” Ren practically growled. “We—”

“We could, but we _won’t_ , Ren,” Hux said sternly. He paused, still not convinced his plan was a good one. Perhaps they should have waited for backup. “We need to find out where they’re holding Captain Logaod and her troops, if indeed they’re still alive. There will, I assume, be bloodshed,” Hux glanced at Ren, “but I would prefer to keep things quiet. While we do that, Inar, I need you to figure out how they blocked the transmissions. It doesn’t add up that these comm units would break all on their own like that, they must be getting into the system onboard the Finalizer somehow. Figure it out.”

As he spoke, the small craft entered the planet’s atmosphere and sailed over the mountains. Inar nodded and turned back to the control panel, glancing over all the readings.

“General, something’s wrong.”

_Something’s wrong here._

The two voices hit him almost in unison, one within his head and the other without. Hux grew uneasy. “What is it?” he asked aloud, glancing between the two of them.

“The ship, I don’t know what it is, we’re losing altitude,” Inar said, frantically flipping switches and pulling up on the control column, doing her best to keep the ship aloft and avoid crashing into the mountains below.

“Hux, stop the ship,” Ren said authoritatively.

“What do you think we’re _trying_ to do?” Inar shouted over the warning sirens.

“Help me,” Ren clarified, laying his hands on the machinery set into the walls. Hux could see him concentrating, and everything became clear. Hux snapped into action, feeling the smooth metal and plastic under his hands as he concentrated on slowing down the falling vessel, using the Force to make their landing less catastrophic.

The ship did slow its terrifying descent, but nowhere near enough. They came closer and closer to the rocky terrain below and, had Hux’s eyes been open, he might have had a sarcastic word or two about the picturesque location of their deaths. But he didn’t say anything, just kept concentrating on pulling the ship out of its nosedive, even when it became clear that impact was inevitable. The warning sirens were screeching in his ears, Inar was yelling something, and Hux’s own heartbeat pounded in his ears. Above all that came Ren’s voice.

_Hux, it’s her, she brought the ship down on purpose! She’s working for them, she’s a double-agent— !_


	7. Chapter 7

Hux woke with a gasp, his heart thrashing in his chest as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. He was in some kind of holding chamber, his wrists shackled together in front of himself and chained to the rocky wall behind him. The room was dark. Hux took stock of his injuries. A multitude of bruises, judging from the blunt pain he felt when he jostled any part of his body; something he could only assume was dried blood in his hair; a throbbing in his shoulder that may, perhaps, mean a dislocated joint. All in all, the crash could have been worse.

Judging from his current predicament, Ren had been correct about Inar. She was working for the rebels, and had somehow managed to orchestrate this convoluted plan to capture them. Hux gritted his teeth, remembering everything that had happened the last few days, how close he’d let her get to him. He had been gravely mistaken, and she would pay for making such a fool of him.

It was only after a few moments that Hux realized he was not alone. There was a guard stationed at the vault-like door of his cell. She carried a blaster and leaned against the wall, apparently still unaware that Hux had regained consciousness. That was good, Hux told himself. He could formulate a plan, perhaps getting the jump on the guard.

Hux knew he needed to find Ren, Captain Logaod, and her crew. That is, if the captain were still alive. After that, Hux would find Inar. He smiled a little, eager to raze this rebel base to the ground. He left off thinking up ways to punish Inar for what she had done; that was not the most pressing objective at the moment. He turned his thoughts instead to freeing himself from the cell.

Of course, he could break his wrists and slip free of the shackles, but that may prove a hindrance in the long run. He could attempt to pry the chain free from its anchor in the wall, but that seemed unlikely. He could somehow convince the guard to help him. That, too, seemed unlikely, but it was his best shot. Hux wracked his brain, thinking of arguments he could make, when it suddenly occurred to him that he needn’t argue at all. Ren had, on a few occasions, used the Force to convince people to do his bidding, do things that they wouldn’t otherwise. Hux took a deep breath, focusing his mind and trying to get through to the woman standing near the door so he could make his suggestion.

He didn’t have time to make an attempt. The sound of the door crashing inwards was earsplitting, and smoke rushed over the grey floor. Hux recoiled, uncomprehending, as the woman raised her blaster, firing a few shots at random into the smoke before she fell to the ground. Ren looked horrifically dramatic as he emerged from the smoke, his lightsaber humming lowly. Hux tried to stop his heart from beating in his throat, feeling both pleased to have a way out and a little disappointed to not have been able to try his prowess against the guard.

“You do like to make an entrance, don’t you?” Hux said dryly, holding out his shackles for Ren to remove.

“We need to move quickly,” Ren said, ignoring Hux’s baiting and carefully cutting the shackles in half and removing them from the chain. “They’ll be trying to stop us.”

Hux stood, glad to have use of his hands again, even with the metal cuffs still on his wrists. There would be time to remove those later. “Logaod and her squad. And Inar.”

“And a cruiser out of here, once all that is done,” Ren added. Hux could sense adrenaline radiating from the other man, along with a strong sense of relief. It took a second for Hux to realize Ren had been worried about him. But right now, he didn’t have time to think of that. Hux merely nodded and set about trying to formulate a plan.

“Right. We’ll find the others together, then split up. If Logaod and her crew are in any fit state to help, they can buy us time while you find a ship,” Hux said, leading the way out of the cell through the ruble that used to be a door. There didn’t appear to be anyone on their trail yet, but Hux knew it was only a matter of time.

“While you find Inar?” Ren asked, close by Hux’s side.

“You’re not going to suddenly start advocating mercy, are you?” Hux asked.

“Just sorry I won’t be able to see you in action, for once,” Ren retorted. “I’m beginning to wonder whether the Academy gave you such high marks in combat just so your father could save face.”

Had they been in any other situation, one any less dire, Hux would have stopped sprinting down the corridor and shown Ren exactly how he’d earned his grades. Hux knew that Ren had been joking, just teasing him, and felt—past his own flare of rage and chagrin—an emotional wince from Ren, a sudden realization that he’d made a misstep. But Ren didn’t verbalize it, and Hux didn’t expect him to. It wasn’t like Ren to own up to any mistakes. Hux let the moment pass, and the pair hurried onward, occupied with more important matters.

The corridor was quiet, save for their echoing footsteps as they ran, Ren leading the way, Hux not questioning the other man’s sense of direction. They turned down several hallways, all of them dimly lit and dirty; it struck Hux finally that they must be underground. Finally, Ren stopped running, holding out his arm to stop Hux as he looked at one of the reinforced metal doors set into the stone walls.

“Stand back,” Ren advised, unsheathing his lightsaber. Hux did so; a shower of sparks flew in all directions as the door was ripped to shrapnel. Logaod and her team of five sat on the floor with their wrists in chains; the stormtroopers’ helmets and armor had been removed, and they looked oddly small and vulnerable without it. Their bodies showed cuts and bruises, evidently from interrogations and skirmishes with their captors.

“General, we were ambushed by the rebels, we had no way of contacting the Finalizer. Somehow they blocked all our communication signals and—”

“We know,” Hux said calmly, cutting Captain Logaod off. He would have to wait until they were alone to tell the Captain of Inar and her treachery; he knew better than to share the story of his own gullibility in front of the troops. “Are you all able to walk?” Hux asked, earning a quick chorus of ‘yes sir’ from the stormtroopers as they held out their shackles for Ren to remove.

They avoided eye contact with Ren, Hux noticed—and it hit him that Ren had somehow lost his mask. They had probably taken it from him. That made Hux’s anger flare yet again. He had grown used to seeing Ren without the mask, but that had mostly been in private, not during missions like this. Hux was glad the others averted their eyes.

“You will all follow Kylo Ren and commandeer a ship. Anyone who stands in your way is to be removed,” Hux ordered.

“General, we have no weapons,” Logaod pointed out, standing up.

“Then don’t forget to take them from your victims,” Hux shot back. He turned to Ren, adrenaline still coursing through his body. “I’ll find you once I have Inar,” he said.

“Don’t kill her, we need to interrogate her,” Ren reminded him.

Hux scowled. Ren, of all people, was not fit to advise restraint.

 

Hux didn’t meet with anyone as he made his way through the underground halls. He stretched his mind, used the Force to find life forces within the rebel base. It didn’t work well; he couldn’t see as clearly as he’d like to, or as far. But in his immediate vicinity, all was empty, save for himself and those with Ren, who were heading aboveground in the other direction, towards the hangar. Something was wrong—did the inhabitants of the base not notice that their prisoners had escaped? What were they planning? Hux made his way to the exit, tentatively feeling his way with the Force. Something told him it would be useless to keep searching deeper into the darkness of the bunker. He turned a corner and shielded his eyes against a sudden white light. Stretching in front of him was a hallway, the end of which was open to the outside.

They weren’t underground, exactly, Hux realized. The base was dug into a mountain, like a giant cave. Hux rushed out, glad to breathe fresh air. The sky was white, and the wind blew strongly as Hux got his bearings. The mountain was rocky, but not very sheer; from where he stood at the hewn platform in front of the cave, he could see far into the distance. It was while he was scanning the terrain outstretched before him that a shot from a blaster whizzed past his right ear.

Hux whirled around, tense and ready to defend himself. Inar looked smug as she took a few steps toward him from where she had been waiting, concealed among the rocks. “I hope you’re not afraid of heights, General,” she said with feigned innocence. She had missed her shot on purpose, Hux knew. She’d wanted his attention.

Hux just rolled his eyes. “I didn’t come here to trade banter,” he said flatly. “I came to bring you back to the Finalizer, where you will undergo interrogation.”

“No thanks,” Inar declined. “I didn’t really enjoy my first visit, fun as it was to make a fool out of the great General Brendol Hux Junior.” Hux gritted his teeth; she must have somehow known he hated being called by his full name. Inar slowly approached him, and Hux evaded, the two of them circling each other like animals in a fighting ring. “I would prefer if you and I stayed here,” Inar continued nonchalantly. “My colleagues and I had to change our plans a little after that beast of yours got loose. You and I didn’t even have time to chat,” she whined mockingly.

“And what is your plan? Evacuate?” Hux asked, eyeing her blaster. He was weaponless, but confident that he could get close enough to knock it out of her grip.

“Not quite,” Inar smiled. “Now, come on. Don’t make me shoot you.”

“If you fought with any honor, you’d drop the gun and make this a fair fight,” Hux pointed out, standing his ground with his back to the cave. Inar was across from him, her back to the cliff’s edge.

“Victory will bring me enough honor,” Inar said as she raised the gun.

Hux was watching carefully, and saw her hand twitch just before she aimed at him. He dodged out of the way and ran at her, grabbing her arm and sending the blaster skidding across the ground. Inar bared her teeth and swung at his face, which Hux dodged only to receive another punch to the stomach. Taking a stabilizing step backwards, Hux shifted his weight and landed a kick solidly to her chest.

The next few seconds were a blur; Inar fought offensively with all her energy, and Hux received just as many blows as he landed. At one point Inar kneed him in the stomach, making him double over, and used his split-second reaction to bring her elbow down hard on the back of his head. Hux staggered to his feet and spat out the blood that had lately filled his mouth, then looked up to see Inar darting a little ways away. She whirled around, clutching her stomach with one hand and the gun, just recovered, with her other. Between the blood that coated her face and the rabid expression in her eyes, she looked terrifying. Inar aimed the blaster at his chest, and Hux felt himself thrown off his feet, hurtling sideways before he landed roughly on the ground. He managed to lift his head enough to see Ren, lightsaber in hand, rushing towards Inar. Hux was unconscious before his head hit the ground again.


	8. Chapter 8

Hux so rarely touched other people. Especially non-violently. But Ren wouldn’t let go of his hand. Hux lay in a bed (in the med bay? How did he get here?) with Ren sitting next to him, his face masked by worry and dried blood. Ren didn’t let go of his hand. Hux knew he was floating in and out of consciousness, and he fought to stay awake. Ren was speaking, his voice low and calm (since when did Ren speak like that?). Hux strained to listen, to comprehend. There was something important for them to discuss. Ren didn’t let go of his hand. The whole world felt hazy, and Hux wondered why he couldn’t stay conscious, since he wasn’t feeling any pain. He looked at Ren, feeling powerless and trapped in his own body. Ren held Hux’s hand in both his own as Hux fell back into unconsciousness.

 

There were voices. Dr. Avaan was speaking to Ren, who judging by his tone wasn’t very receptive to her advice.

“…examination. It won’t take long. …can’t help him in his current state.”

Hux tried to focus and listen to what they were saying, but his mind fluttered like a moth, the psychological movement nearly making him nauseous. Ren was arguing. He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to have a medical exam. That was stupid of him. He could be hurt.

“…wakes up? He must…of our latest mission…not leaving…”

Even Hux knew he was in no state for a mission report. Avaan stood taller, arguing with Ren the way a mother does with a petulant child. She was probably one of the few people on board who would dare argue with Kylo Ren. She was brave.

“I am the chief medical doctor on…medical treatment…endangering the lives of any crew member. …won’t even notice you’ve left…”

Avaan’s determined voice came to Hux as if in waves. Hux closed his eyes, knowing that if Ren thought he was still unconscious, there would be a higher chance of him leaving. There were some mumbled voices, then retreating footsteps. Before Hux could open his eyes again, he’d lost consciousness.

 

Hux woke up as if from a night of fitful sleep. His body ached all over, there was a sharp pain in his shoulder and left arm, and his head was throbbing. Whatever drugs they had given him must have worn off. Finally, though, Hux could think clearly, albeit groggily. He turned his head and saw Ren, sitting next to him again and still holding his hand.

When Ren noticed Hux was awake, he reached out with his free hand, gently touching Hux’s cheek. “Don’t go back to sleep,” Ren ordered.

Hux obeyed, blinking a few times to reorient himself, resisting the urge to close his eyes again and lean into Ren’s touch. “You look terrible,” Hux said, his voice scratchy and weak. Ren had a dark bruise on his jaw and a barely-closed gash along his hairline. His dark eyes looked exhausted.

“You’ve never looked better,” Ren rejoined, removing his hands from Hux and sitting back in his chair.

Questions buzzed through Hux’s mind like a swarm of insects, each vying to be the first loosed from his mouth. “What happened?” he managed to ask.

Ren sighed and ran a hand through his long hair, but soon stopped; evidently it was tangled. “There was an ambush. They knew we’d go for a ship, and they moved everyone to the flight hangar. Two of her squad didn’t make it. Captain Logaod was dismissed from medical a few hours ago; she said she would write the report.”

Hux nodded. She would know what sort of information was relevant, what kind of questions he would have. Perhaps this was best; he could rest until the report came in. “You came and found us. Inar and me,” Hux said, remembering the last moments of his fight with her.

Ren was now sitting with his hands firmly on his knees as if restraining himself. “Yes. There weren’t many of them—the rebels—who knew how to fight, and I took a speeder and went to find you as soon as the battle turned in our favor. But I…was followed.”

Hux frowned, sensing bad news. “Where is Inar?”

Ren’s jaw clenched, and he hatefully replied, “Escaped.”

Hux was silent. He didn’t need to tell Ren that this was an unacceptable failure. But he knew it wasn’t only on Ren’s shoulders; if he himself had been strong enough, he could have fought off the rebels who had followed Ren and provided the distraction for Inar’s escape. If Hux had been strong enough, he could have taken Inar himself. Rage boiled inside him, but he fought it down; that was not productive now. “We will find her,” Hux said, his voice like a threat. Ren nodded, equally determined.

Right now, however, Hux could barely lift himself into a sitting position, let alone scour the galaxy for her. He winced, feeling something in his torso stretch in a way it certainly wasn’t meant to.

“Stop moving,” Ren ordered. “Your ribs are still healing. They broke when you fell.”

Hux glared at him. “I did not fall, you _threw_ me.”

“It was either that or watch you get a hole burned through your chest when she shot you,” Ren reminded him testily.

Hux scowled and turned away from Ren. Inar had been good. She had played her role perfectly, and that made Hux hate her all the more. She had flattered him, ingratiated herself, swallowed her pride and any moral qualms she’d had and convinced everyone on board, Hux especially, that she belonged there. That she was on their side. That she was to be trusted. Another stupid blunder on Hux’s part. Another failure, just like the numerous others. This was what came of letting people get too close. One way or another, everyone betrays you in the end.

Hux’s jaw was set in a tight line as he mentally berated himself. He felt disgusted, thinking about his behavior the past few weeks, how he’d made it so easy for her. He’d made an idiot of himself, being so trusting and naïve. Hux resolved to not let it happen again. There was only one person in the galaxy he could rely on, and that was himself. He would fix this mess, redeem himself, and he would do it with his own power, with no one else’s help.

“How are you feeling?” Ren asked, reaching out and covering Hux’s hand with his own, trying to pull back Hux’s attention.

Hux flinched and moved his hand away. “Fine. I suggest you go get some rest,” Hux said coldly. He didn’t need anyone to sit by his bedside and hold his hand.

Ren frowned, his confused expression turning quickly to a familiar guarded anger. He was offended, Hux realized. He told himself he didn’t care, and assembled his features into their usual haughty expression. Usual with everyone else, that is. He hadn’t looked at Ren that way in a while.

“Well. I’ll leave you then,” Ren said, standing up slowly as if still uncertain whether he had misjudged the situation. Hux nodded and let him go.

 

It was a few days before Avaan deemed Hux well enough to return to the bridge and his normal duties. He’d read Logaod’s report, scowling deeply from his bed, which he had been restricted to for what felt like a century. Apparently the rebel base had been all but razed to rubble by the time they were through: when Ren had returned to the Finalizer to bring Hux to the med bay, he’d advised Captain Phasma, the second-in-command, to send in reinforcements. Ren himself had returned to the surface of the planet when he had been assured Hux was in capable hands. They had slaughtered the remaining rebels and seized much of their intelligence equipment, which was currently being looked over by the engineers onboard. It seemed as though the mission had not been a total failure, then. But Inar’s escape nagged at the back of Hux’s mind.

He spent those days recuperating, giving orders from his quarters, and replaying all of his conversations with Inar. She hadn’t been perfect. There had been signs. But Hux had been too flattered, too preoccupied, too stupid to pick up on them. Not anymore, however. Hux resolved to be better, to prove himself an asset to the First Order like he had at the Academy and in the first years after his graduation. He wouldn’t allow himself any more distractions.

Ren stopped by his quarters once, during those few days. Hux knew who was at the door before he opened it, and had formulated his excuses before he even saw Ren’s face, haggard and a touch worried, for some reason.

“I came to see how you were doing,” Ren said, surreptitiously looking Hux over.

“I’m fine, as you can see. The medical staff has been doing their job,” Hux reported. He stood up straight with his hands behind his back, not moving from the doorway, not inviting Ren inside.

There was an awkward silence, but Hux kept his resolve. He had to be self-sufficient, self-reliant. Ren was a powerful and capable ally, certainly, but Hux knew that it was foolish to rely too much on someone else. As much as he wanted to.

“Well. Good. I’ll go then,” Ren said, holding his head high and mustering as much dignity as he could from the situation. He turned and left, striding quickly down the corridor.

Hux pressed the button on the wall panel, letting the door slide closed and letting his hand slowly fall to his side. He suddenly realized: he hadn’t thanked Ren for saving his life.

When he was finally released from his medically-imposed exile, Hux returned to his work with a renewed zeal. His days were occupied with reports on the equipment from the rebel base, investigations into their hacking of the communications system, and meetings with his captains to plan their next steps. No one mentioned his time away from the bridge nor his injuries, and for that Hux was glad.

On the second day after his recovery, Hux took a spare moment and looked around the bridge. He rarely noticed the blur of unimportant faces around him, those low-ranking workers who seemed to buzz around the ship like insects in a hive. Now, Hux took a good look at them, wondering who else was lying in wait to betray him, to attempt to bring shame on the First Order. An idea came to Hux, and he concentrated, trying to use the Force to search through their minds, the way Ren did with people. It didn’t work.

Hux refocused his energy, choosing one of the officers at random, trying to hear her thoughts. It didn’t work. It didn’t work with any of the people Hux singled out. He couldn’t even remember exactly what it felt like to use the Force. Avoiding any outward expression of panic, Hux took a deep breath and attempted to stretch his consciousness, to locate Ren within the Finalizer as he’d done before. Nothing. His powers were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to have Ren and Hux share a touching and romantic moment in the med bay then end it there, but I think we can all agree this is a lot more fun ;)


	9. Chapter 9

It took a lot of resolve to summon Ren to the meeting chamber. Hux had never offered an explanation after how he’d acted in the med bay, and hadn’t spoken to Ren at all in the days since. Needless to say, their relationship had deteriorated. Ren was probably feeling awful; confused, embarrassed—Hux broke off that line of thinking, knowing that it would only make the conversation harder if he added that personal element.

Ren eventually entered the meeting chamber, his face carefully blank as he stood in the middle of the room. Hux knew it would be futile to offer him a chair, so he remained standing as well.

“My…abilities are gone,” Hux said, struggling to find what words to use. It was obviously better to get straight to the point and dispense with any pleasantries. “I can’t read minds anymore, I can’t _sense_ things like before.” He looked at Ren, hoping for some kind of explanation.

“Your abilities were not inherent. That’s to be expected,” Ren said casually, “after you—” he stopped abruptly and averted his gaze. “As I said. Your abilities faded when we…became less close.” He looked back at Hux, his features not moving fast enough to conceal the expression of confusion and hurt. “I’ll be going, then,” Ren said stiffly, turning away from Hux.

“Ren,” Hux said quickly, taking a step forward as if to hold Ren back. Hux decided against it, overly conscious of physical contact between them, and so Ren kept walking. “I have not dismissed you, Kylo Ren,” Hux said imperiously, a last-ditch effort.

Ren turned around, a look of incredulity on his face. “I report to Supreme Leader Snoke, _General_ , not to you. You have no right to order me around,” he spat.

“As long as you are onboard this vessel, you are subject to those in charge, namely _me_. And I have not dismissed you,” Hux repeated coldly. Anger had always come naturally to him, much more so than…affection? Tenderness? Whatever ridiculous emotion that had been coloring his interactions with Ren for the past few days.

For a split second, Hux marveled at the fact that Ren didn’t attempt to Force-choke him on the spot. Ren’s expression was murderous, but he didn’t move. “Fine. What do you want?” he said through gritted teeth.

Hux took a deep breath, again at a loss for words. Things had been so much easier when he didn’t have to verbalize all his feelings. “You…you must realize— Inar was successful because of my own folly.” The words eventually wrested themselves from Hux’s throat. His gaze wandered around the room, looking everywhere but at Ren. “I allowed myself to be flattered and taken in, and I brought shame on myself as well as the First Order. I will not allow that to happen again. You can see why permitting myself to ‘let people in’ would be a mistake,” Hux finished, drawing his shoulders back and standing up straight. “There. That is all I have to say to you. Dismissed.” Hux forcibly controlled himself, made his body move at a normal pace instead of running away as he wanted to.

“It wouldn’t, though. Be a mistake. With me.” Ren’s voice was subdued, exceedingly different than it had been just moments before. Hux turned back to him, guarded. “You’re an idiot,” Ren said almost childishly. Hux frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but Ren beat him to it. “You truly believe that I would do what she did? You know me. You’ve…seen those dreams I have,” Ren reminded him. “No one else has seen that side of me. Just you. And Supreme Leader Snoke,” Ren added hastily.

“All the more reason for you to want to betray me, is it not?” Hux asked, his voice emotionless.

Ren sighed, his jaw set in a line as if it were a dam to keep back any meddlesome emotions or stray words. “You don’t understand,” he finally managed, his voice low. “Your abilities, the fact that we were able to—”

“I do understand, Ren. I understand that both of us have too many problems for this, whatever _this_ is, to work out. I will not allow myself to let personal relationships get in the way of my work. I will not compromise the mission of the First Order for my own happiness. I _cannot_ allow myself to fail.” Hux paused, and his resolute expression softened just a little. “Do you understand that?” he asked, surprising himself with how quiet his voice was.

Ren was silent for a long time, and just stared at Hux. For once, Hux was glad he couldn’t hear Ren’s thoughts. Judging by the man’s face, knowing what he was thinking would rid Hux of his already fragile resolve.

“Yes, General,” Ren eventually managed. “Am I dismissed?” he asked, his voice, for once, dispassionate.

“…Yes.”

They parted ways.


End file.
